"Boredom is the desire for happiness left in its pure state."-Giacomo Leopardi"Something that would reduce or enhance the feeling of boredom." - "We're not bored." "We're not capable of it."-Maurice Blanchot

Friday, August 05, 2005

Theory's Empire: Dissenting With "Dissent"

Here, for those googling in especially, is a collection of links dealing with the blogosphere's reception of Theory's Empire (although some of them were always already receiving), and more specifically with the reception of the The Valve's reception of Theory's Empire. These are links to very thoughtful posts you may not otherwise find simply by googling the words, "Theory's Empire". They are collected here only to help facilitate an honest and open debate. This page may be updated as time goes by; further suggestions for links dissenting with dissent are of course welcome.

And finally, tacked on just for the hell of it, and if only to help us keep this word, "Empire" itself in properly uncalcified perspective, here is something by Scott McLemee:

Asked about this criticism, Mr. Hardt responds, "We're certainly not in the business of writing manifestoes, or What Is to Be Done?" He does indicate, however, that his work with Mr. Negri has now reached the stage where they need to "think global democracy today" -- that is, develop some notion of what would replace Empire.

"People spend a lot of time criticizing contemporary global institutions, and the insufficiency of national institutions as well," he says. "The obvious thing, of course, is to ask: What would an alternative look like, and where would it come from?" Some of those questions begin to emerge in the final pages of Multitude, but not the answers.

"Toni's talking about volume three," says Mr. Hardt. They are at the early stage of what sounds like a well-established routine. "We exchange letters about criticisms of the last book. We give each other reading lists." (Eventually, someone's academic career will be made from analyzing the documents of how an American professor and an Italian revolutionary collaborated on their books.)

After Empire and Multitude, Mr. Hardt says, "We need a little rest." But it is clear that Mr. Negri is ready to push on to the next phase -- defining a new vision of some still newer world order. The multitude waits, patiently or otherwise.